Angle gauging device for use with shears



June 1953 J. J. GUNDLACH ANGLE GAUGING DEVICE FOR USE WITH SHEARS INVENTOR.

Filed Jan. 13, 1950 ATTORNEY-S Patented June 16, 1953 OFFICE ANGLE 'GAUGING DEVICE-FOR US'EWI'IH" SHEARS Joseph J. .Gund1ach,.Belleville,. Ill. Application J anuary13, 1950; SerialNo. 138,458

This invention relates to improvements in. angle-gauging devices for use with shears, and more particularly to: an improved assembly of. elements with reciprocal cutting. devices; to' facilitate the location of; variable lines of severe ance* of sheet materials, for example, units of wall; or floor tile of great variety, as well as sheetmetal units and other sheet materials. Although not restricted in field of usage; the'presentian'glegauglng assembly was designed particularly: for; use with wall and floor: tile; and? is adapted to most or all of the standard commercial varieties of such materials.

It. is a usual incident of. applying: many types of permanenttile; that many of the: tile require: a reduction in width or length; in other 'building' situations, as in. the fitting. of corners and inirregularfiooring-and'wall space, many of-the tile must be accurately-sizedor trimmed to' present: one. or more. finished margins at a more or less definite angle tooneor more of the remaining margins.

attention, there is no" device. available tothe trade As faras has come to thislapplicants and'isuitable for use-on the'job or otherwise, for

expeditiously so. dimensioning wall and floor tile. Heretofore work of. this kind'has been.

units. largely-on a basis of: cut-and-trial, often with ship.

sizing. of tile and other materials, and whiclr will enable the: job to be-doneby anyronerwithoutt especial skill: beyond: a: minor period, of experience.

The. invention may-"be summarized by reference to one embodiment comprising particular features of advantage,. including a: swingable gauge bar provided with a plurality of different, relatively shifted, linear measurement'scales; respectively applicable when thegauge bar is in difierent angular positions with respect" to a margin of" a: cutting table. or bed; plate, or' to:

a cutting line definedby'associated shear elements; The. improvements alsoarecharacterized by a. novel arcuate guidewa in the,bed:.plate, to

gether with a, threaded clamp: coac'ting with the plate; selectively engageablei-by' a plunger-in the gauge bar:- in orderi pcsitively to prevent casual movement'of the gaugabar from-.a; predetermined:

angular position. A double-arm gauging assembly is 1 provided; the. two": arms: coacting inx predetermined-angular relation but with one such. arm adjust'able'along the other thereof, so2that each arm" mayserve as an. edge abutment for' the work" piece'such asa'tilez. Anoveland simple clamping device for fixing: the adjusted position 0t one ofzithe-arms with-respect torthe-other, also characterizes the improvements. One of the Work abutment; members or arms; is formed: insections; and means are" provided for detachably connecting the sections and: for "positively aligning same Whenlconnected; The sectionalmem her is provided with: a novel arrangement of spaced abutments with. relieved areas or recesses therebetween, servingjt'o minimize-the: likelihood;

experiencedwitholder straight edge abutments, that: foreign'particlesor dirt may prevent exact parallelism betweenthe'eclgesof the work piece and the margin ofr the: abutment arm. The es sembly; further. comprises: a simple expedient by whichit is selectively? adaptedrfor severance oftileor: like-work pieces: either' by. atrue shearing action; or'tby thesorcalled pinchwif method of severance;-

Yet another. objectrof the invention of imp'or-- tance; is realized-sin animproved", device which is in" the-nature of aprotractor attachment partic ularly dorflportablereciprocable shears as for tile and-the like; and which option-ally provides either a singlesc-ribing; guide-and abutment, or a; plurality of such guide elements which are mutually adjustable,- and which-mayoptionally serve as abutments oncuttin-gguidesfor units ofsheet material on thevvork-v table of a: shear;

Yet other important advantages of the invention are realized in improved adjustable-clamping: means; for the assemblyof separable angle gauging arms; an improved multiple linear scale associated" with such a device, and-an improved pivotal connection between one or more arms of a protractorunit; and the-work table of are-- ciprocal shearassembly.

Theforegoi-ng: and numerous other objects and advantages of theinvention will more clearly appearfromthe following detailed-description of a.currently'commercialembodiment of the invention, particularly= when considered in connec tion with the accompanying,- drawing; in which:

Fig; l is a-sidewelevationof 'a reciprocal. cutting device for tile or like units; and embodyingi the current angle-gauging means Figi 2: is--a fragmentary enlarged top-.or plan view "ofthe device 0t Fig; 1, particularly showi-ng:the:gauge bar, gauge arm and accessories;

.3-isi awsectionallview instaggered vertical planes as taken along line 3+3" of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating certain elements of the gauge arm clamp as taken along line 44 of, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in a horizontal plane, the location of which is indicated by line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevationa View as taken along line 6-5.of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, sectional in nature, as taken along line 11 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 88 of Fig. 2, and showing a retaining plunger for positioning selectively, the graduated gauge bar.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, the coacting cutting elements, as well as the major elements of the work support or work table and actuating mechanism for the reciprocal shear, are or may be identical with or substantially similar to the shearing device disclosed in application of Serial No. 51,772 filed September 29', 1948, by Theodore F. and Joseph J. Gundlach, and entitled Shears for Frangible Units. Attention is directed to the said copending application in which is disclosed a suitable shear assembly per se, and in combination with which the present improvements may be employed.

For present completeness it may be noted that the device embodies a work table, being a support for the units of sheet material to be subjected to severance, and indicated at Ill. The element Ill may be formed of a tempered, compressed, cellulose product as is preferred, or of metal or other non-warping material. This work table or work support is carried by a base casting which includes feet II at opposite sides, and an intermediate foot l2. Mounted along one margin of the work table is a stationary bedknife l3 with which cooperates a vertically reciprocable shearing knife M. The shear knife I 4 is supported by a knife carrier in the form of a light weight alloy casting l5 which is pivoted as at IE to a pivot carrier hereinafter described, which is supported by a post IT, and one of the feet H, the opposite end of the knife carrier casting I5 guidedly embracing an opposite post element l8. The member I8 is arcuately movable within narrow limits substantially in the plane of the knife 4, and about an anchor pin or bolt 20 considered as a pivot. Pivotally secured as by pin 2! to the upper portion of post I8, is an offset end 22 of an actuating handle 23. It will be observed that portions 22 and 23 are angularly related so as to constitute in effect a single lever of dog-leg shape.

Projecting from the end of the knife carrier l5 which is opposite pivot I6, is a furcate extension 24 apertured, as is the adjacent part of handle 23, to receive a pivot pin 25. It has now become apparent that as handle 23 is moved counterclockwise (Fig. 1), this motion will result in a lifting actuation of the knife carrier [5 and knife l4, while an opposite or clockwise movement of handle 23 will result in a downward shearing or work-severing actuation of the casting and the reciprocal knife l4.

Proceeding now to describe the angle-gauging facilities characterizing the present improvements, there is provided in the right hand region of the work table [0, and somewhat forwardly (i. e. toward the operator) of the bed knife, a vertically projecting, hardened metal stud 30. About the stud 30 as a pivot axis, is swingably movable in a horizontal plane over the bed plate of the bed plate, a recess 32) is provided therein,

H), a gauge bar 3|. This latter is provided with a downwardly opening socket 32, considerably larger than the pin or stud 30. A plate 32a is provided just below the pivot zone of bar 3|, and provided with an accurately sized opening 32b, having no more than working clearance with the stud 30.

Provision for precision adjustment of position of the effective pivot axis of, and for bar 30, includes a pair of large countersunk top recesses 32c on opposite sides of the socket 32. Each recess 320 is continued through bar 3|, by a bore 32d, each of larger sectional area than the shank of an Allen screw or the like 32e. The head of each screw 32a is located completely within one of the top recesses 32c, and the screws 32a extend through the bar 3| into threaded connection with opposite ends of the socket plate 32a. It will now appear that, upon release of screws 32c from plate 32a, this plate may be shifted in any direction, and is thus universally adjustable. Thus an original or later setting of the gauge bar may be effected by removal of the top scale element (later described) from bar 3 accurately locating this bar with respect to the bed plate margin or the bed knife as with a machinists square, thereupon tightening screws 32c and replacing the top scale as a cover over the screws 32c and sockets 320.

So that bar 3| may be flush with the planar top of a depth at least equal to thethickness of the plate 32a.

The provision just described permits accurate location of the true axis of the gauge bar 3|, despite minor inaccuracies in casting of the bed plate l0, if it be so formed, and obviates other extreme assembly niceties and assures precision cutting practice when the device is in use.

The bed plate i0 is provided somewhat outwardly of the stud 30, with an arcuate slot 33, which latter is of slightly greater width than a depending threaded stud 33 carried by the gauge bar 3| and extending through the arcuate slot in the table l0. Below the table, the threaded stud 33 is provided with a relatively large, milled hand nut 34, from which it will now appear as obvious that the gauge bar, when located in any position between the limits established by the length of the .slot 33, may be clamped in any selected position and hence at any predetermined angle between limits, with respect to the cutting line defined by the bed knife.

Located somewhat outwardly of the arcuate slot 33, in a direction toward'the operator, is a series, shown as four, of sockets, the centers of which are arranged along an are drawn on the center of the gauge bar pivot stud 30. The number of such sockets is optional according to needs in a particular field of service, the sockets shown being adapted, respectively, for a zero position of the gauge bar in which it is disposed normal to the cutting line. Additional such sockets, each indicated at 35, are provided for settings of 15,

30 and 45 degrees respectively of the gauge arm,

from its zero or normal position. Coacting with the several sockets 35 is a small plunger 36 provided with a lifting head 31, the latter being accessible above the gauge bar 3|, so that the plunger 36, frictionally fitting the recess 38 therefor, may be selectively lifted to permit free traversing movement of the bar 3|, or may be selectively depressed into the predetermined socket 35, in any of which positions the gauge bar will serve as a positive fixed abutment for the edge of atile: or like. work piece:- on: the: table or bed plate Ill;

It war be apparent: that the; pivot: assembly previouslydescribed is capable of universal ad,-

justment in all' angular positions of the: gauge bar 31. In certain specific angular locations of the gauge bar' 3i" 'as determined by-'- the: inter; fitting relation of-the plunger 36. and: receiving socket 351" the plunger. andsock'et cooperateiwith the elementsof the pivct assembl'y" to determine element carries indici a arranged in a:.double se'riesf 'eachalong'one of the side. margins. ofcthe member 40,- one such scale, indicated: at 41', being usually graduated in inches; will. provide an" accurate measurement of distance; from... the shear line, when the gauge bar 3 l isin its normal or zero position; "However; when: the bar: 3| is m'oved to its 455* degree position, a. differentfscale is'necessary to represent then-existing; measure: ments from the cutting line, for which purpose asecond scale 42-, which may bereferredi to. as the 45-degree scale, is' provided. This. latter is necessarily linearly displacediwith respect to. the corresponding graduations of scale Mgduer to the location ofthe axis of the bar 31 somewhat forwardly of the cutting-line.

It is a convenience for making precise: adjustments ofthe scale membeirfl'fif'on'the gauge bar 31'; to provide thebar wi-th a seri'essof tapped recessesforthe reception of screws 43. extending through slots 44f from -whichit will appear that the scale piece 4Q" may, upon backing offthe screws, be shifted within limits along'the gauge bar, although when once carefully adjusted, it scarcely ever need be reset;

The present improvements are usable with considerable advantage over existing equipment,

. without anything other thanthe elements thus fardescribed it is howevera matter of consider-- able added convenience andutility to provide a gauge armgenerally indicated at 4 51' \Such'gauge arm isby preference, but without restriction;

' formed of a plurality of sections detachably connectedin end toeendfrelati on, each such section consisting of a separate casting, say of a lightweight alloy. The first 'such element 46: of the gauge arm is provided with aclampinghead which consists of twospaced; downwardly prethat, as is necessary at 'times, the clamping head and. 'jaws 4'i48' will clear the plunger 36 heretofore noted.

As a simpleyet positiveand'ieasily manipulable clamp. for. fixing the position ofthe gauge arm along the gauge bar 31', there isprovided'an upwardlypresented-wing head screw 50 extending depthwise into: a: vertical threadedcbore therefor. Extended at a right 'anglectothis bore is a. short smooth bore 51, the-inner end of which is open adjacent onesid'eof thexgauge bar 3|, and the opposite or: outer'endof which may beopen at the-otherside-of the clamp: jaw by whichit is carried; Disposedlwithin the horizontal bore 5| isl av clamping plunger 52.v Plunger 52 is characte'rized" by a guide portion of normal diameter only slightlyless than that of the bore El, and rearwardlythereofis formed with a sloping'or camming surface 532 shown. as a reduced region with sloping end'isurfaces. The-end of'screw 50 is'prov-idedi with .a .coacting, frusto-conical cam ming surface 54 which, asscrew 5,0 is threaded into its bore; willactuate the plunger 52 along therbore- 5i and: intofirm clampingengagement with the. adjacent'side of1the gauge bar 31!.

In order to assure: positive and correct align.- mentiofflthesections.of. the gauge arm the adjaeen-t mating. ends of such sectionsareprefer-iably planarv and machined or otherwise so formed as to assure a true rectilinear relation of thevsections whenr connected. Only one added arm. section 5.5 is" shown, onwhich is. provided such :an: end. face 55 which fits closely and confor-ms exactly to. a corresponding finished face filon the'element iBi A small vertical or depthwisepartial. bore isprovided as. shown at 58, in.

the end face 5'1, and serves to receive and retain therein a pinelement 69;. a second partial bore t! being formed in the end face. 55; so that the two: partialbores 58 andufil coactin closely embracing the pin 58. and 'thus'provide therewith an interfittc-zd connection or keyings'effect between theends of the adjacent arm sections.

For. the detachableassembly of the gauge arm sections-such as 46: and. 55; each thereof is provided' with: an upwardly extended. U shape boltway forming element 62', within which, when the,

sections. are: connected, is: a. clamp. bolt 53 provided with a wing nut t l. The first section 46 of fthe'gauge. arm is. also. by preference, provided withaniauxiliary bolt trough E52" to'which the second section; 55; ofithearm may be attached in, similar* fashion, when unused, and't-hus be supported againstlfoss onmisplacement; when a shortened? gauge arm. is; desired or. required.

In referenceto'the occasion for the requirement' last'm'entioned; and to illustraterthe advantage-bf the? sectional gauge arm, it will be noted that when; for example; the gauge bar 3| is'moved-to its45. degreeaposition, were the. gauge armxof full;' length, a portion: thereof wouldproj'ect across the=1ine1of cleavage-"defined"by thecoacting cutting knives, in; which case the knives would'of'c'ourse becomeinoperative Under such 7 will at once appear when it is considered that manyiloor tile and others are apt to spall off in some degree incident to severance of their edges, thus at times resulting'in either or both a roughenededge, and the accumulation of some loose material of the tile or otherwork unit on the work table or bed plate l0. It will be obvious that in case a continuous abutment edge of an uninterrupted form be provided on, an abutment such as the gauge arm, the casual occlusion of such rough and irregular particles between the margin of the tile and the arm will result in an inaccurate cut. The spaced abutments have been found markedly to reduce this source of error.

As above noted, the present severing and dimensioning device was designed particularly for floor and wall tile, and its features have been particularly arrived at so that it will handle all of the commercially prominent types of tile, such as tile of asphalt, rubber, linoleum, certain synthetic plastics, cork and the like, and is equally adapted to certain of the metal wall tiles, such as those of aluminum. In the severance of certain of these many varieties of tiles, the case of asphalt tile may be selected as illustrating the facility now to be described. Such tile may be cut by either of two methods. Some contractors prefer a so-called even bite across the tile, which consists of and is sometimes described in the trade as a pinch-off method of severance. According to this method the cutting edge of the movable knife is not brought fully to engage the cutting edge of the bed knife, so that a true shearing action does not occur. In such case, separation is however complete, and results from pinching away or breaking apart the'portions of the work piece.

A true shearing action constituting the other method frequently employed, is, as is well known, a so-called scissors cut, in which the movable knife is brought to a partially overlapping relation to the edge of the coacting knife such as a bed knife. Certain operators prefer shearing action on asphalt tile, under moderate temperatures, and a pinch-off method of severance when the tile is relatively cold. The present improvements enable a ready adjustment from either method of severance to the other, as will now be or as may be desired, a side-open recess. In

either case, one such recessed vertical frame element is located in the region of the pivoted end of the knife. At least partly occupying such recess is a slide or filler element indicated at II, that portion of which extends upwardly of the socket being designated at IT and serving to carry the knife pivot pin or screw I6. A clamp member shown as set screw 12 threadedly engages either or both the socketed frame element such as foot H, as well as the slide 1| occupying the recess. From this structure it will now be apparent that, upon releasing the set screw 12, the slide may be raised or lowered, and so adjusted in accordance with varying thickness and nature of the tile or like work units to be severed, and further in such manner that, selectively, the reciprocal knife and the bed knife may, upon full downward movement of the handle 23, be kept short of overlapping engagement, and thus provide for severance of the unwanted portion of the tile as by the pinch-off method above described. In similar manner, by releasing the screw 12, the slide supporting the knife pivot, It; may be brought downwardly as may be required at times to compensate for wear of the knives, and otherwise so as to assure a definite overlapping of the knives when in fully convergent position, thus assuring under such condition, a usual full shearing action on the Work piece.

The manner of best utilizing the several features of improvement earlier described, is thought to have been rendered fully apparent from eariler description thereof, but it may be noted for completeness that, in case it is desired to effect severance of a margin of a tile along a line at a right angle to one of its original margins, the gauge bar 3| will be located with its plunger 35 in the first or zero position, so that it engages the appropriate socket 35 in the bed plate III. For this purpose the nut 34 will have been released so that the stud 33 is freely movable in the slot 33, and again tightened. Direct measurement of the margin of the useful portion of the tile is provided by reference to the principal or direct reading scale 4| on the gauge bar 3|. It is assumed that the actuating handle 23 will have been lifted so that the portion of the work piece to be severed, lies beyond or across the work table from the cutting line or plane. Actuation of the handle and reciprocal knife, will accordingly effect severance as required.

In case it is required to sever the tile at other than a right angle, the desired angle is selected, if possible from one of those identified with the sockets 35; the gauge bar 3| then moved to the selected position and the plunger 36 depressed into the selected socket, with severance as before described. In case a measurement is desired or needed, along the bar 3|, with the plunger 36 in the 45 degree socket, the 45' degree scale, designated at 42, is utilized for readings, with severance effected as before noted. In case an odd angle of out other than any of those provided for by sockets 35 is to be made, such angle may be determined by template, pattern or measurement in whichcase the gauge bar 3| is tightly locked in position through its frictional retention by means of nut 34 on stud 33, with severance completed as aforesaid. The manner of adjusting the vertical position of the reciprocable knife pivot to select between a true shearing action or a pinch-off method of severance has heretofore been described.

It will now have appeared that the embodiment described will serve fully to realize each of the several objects hereinabovestated, and numerous others which will have been implied from the description of parts and their function.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed reference to a single preferred embodiment, the detail of description is to be understood in an instructive, rather than in any limiting sense, inasmuch as numerous variants are possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for the angular measurement incident to cutting of fiat severable units such as floor and wall tile, a frame, a bed plate on the frame, means defining a cutting or reference line along one margin of the bed plate, a swingable gauge bar movable over the bed plate, a pivot assembly for the gauge bar located forwardly of and in substantial spaced relation with the said reference or cutting line, the pivot assembly comprised of a pin element and a pin-journal element and means providing a universal adjustment of one of said elements with respect to and parallel to the gauge bar, a multiple scale element attached to the gauge bar bearing indicia applicable to the work unit in different angular positions of the gauge bar, and means enabling precision longitudinal adjustments of the scale element along the gauge bar, a plunger carried by the gauge bar and operable depthwise thereof and located remote from the gauge bar pivot, the bed plate being provided with a series of evenly angularly displaced plunger sockets arranged along an are drawn on the center of the stationary element of the pivot assembly, the sockets being selectively engageable by the plunger for fixing the angular position of the gauge bar in selected relations to the reference line, and for accurately determining and adjusting the pivot axis of said gauge bar in said selected positions.

2. In an angle-gauging device, a gauge bar, a' planar support over which the gauge bar may be moved and having a linear reference margin, a pivot assembly for the gauge bar located forwardly of and in considerably spaced relation with the reference margin, the pivot assembly including a pivot pin for the gauge bar, carried by said support, a journal element sleeved over the pivot pin, a pair of clamping elements, one thereof precisely centered with respect to the pivot pin, and the other thereof secured to said journal element, and one or more clamping screws extended loosely through one of said elements and threaded into the other of said elements, whereby to permit a universal adjustment of the journal element in the plane of and with respect to the gauge bar, incident to release of the screws, adjustment of the journal element and retightening of said screws, a plunger carried by the gauge bar and operable depthwise thereof and located remote from the pivoted portion, the support being provided with a series of plunger sockets arranged along an are drawn on the center of the pivot pin, the sockets being selectively engageable by the plunger, whereby to determine and adjust accurately the pivot axis of the gauge bar in selected positions, a scale bearing element overlying the gauge bar and bearing indicia significant of length measurement in any of a plurality of angular positions of the gauge bar, and means enabling precision longitudinal adjustment of the scale element along said bar.

3. In an angle-gauging device, a gauge bar, a planar support over which the gauge bar may be operated, a pivot pin for the gauge bar, carried by said support, a journal element sleeved over the pivot pin and carried by said gauge bar, a socket plate disposed in a shallow recess provided in the planar support, the plate being rotatively movable about and precisely centered with respect to the pivot pin, and one or more clamping screws extended loosely through vertical bores provided in the gauge bar and threaded into the socket plate underlying said bar, whereby to permita universal threadedly engaging the gauge bar to enable a precision adjustment of the scale-bearing element along the gauge bar.

4. In a precision angle-gauging device, a table element for a flat work piece, a linear reference line provided on the table element, a linear gauge bar movable radially over the table element, a pivot assembly comprised of a pivot pin member carried by the table element, a

7 member having a pin recess and carried by the adjustment of the journal element in the plane of and with respect to the gauge bar,

incident to release of the screws, adjustment of the journal element and retightening of said gauge bar, adjustment and securing means comprising screws engaging the pin recess member, the gauge bar being provided'with screw apertures of excess size such that the screws when released, are floatingly retained for universal shifting movement over the table element, and serve when threaded up, to clamp the recess member in adjusted position, a plunger carried by the gauge bar and operable depthwise thereof and located remote from the pivot assembly, the table element being provided with a series of angularly displaced plunger sockets arranged along an are drawn on the centerof the pivot pin member, the sockets being selectively en- 'gageable by the plunger for fixing the angular position of the gauge bar relative to the reference line and for accurately determining and adjusting the pivot axis of the gauge bar in selected positions.

7 JOSEPH J. GUNDLACI-I.

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